Letters | 'Extremist' labels, save the trees

'Extremist' labels

In your recent gun violence editorial, you wrote, "We can no longer afford to elect extremist lawmakers who favor gun sales over lives."

I am not a gun owner and probably never will be. I live and work in areas I believe to be safe; therefore I have made the personal decision not to own a gun.

But, as Thomas Jefferson laid down in our foundational document, we all have the unalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

So if one of my fellow citizens believes he needs a gun to protect those unalienable rights, I don't believe I have a right to tell him he can't.

We, as a nation, expressed the exact same sentiment at the moment of this nation's birth, in the Second Amendment. So I will continue to vote for those extremist lawmakers who favor these unalienable rights, which presumably makes me, in the C-J's eyes, an extremist as well.

Let me add this postscript: Such labeling is a disservice to the discourse, and it no doubt has the side effect of reducing your readership.

DICK RICHARDS

Goshen, Ky. 40026

Save the trees

Metro Mayor Greg Fischer established a tree advisory board in November 2011 and appointed 16 citizens to the board in March 2012.

However, he didn't appropriate money for the board's program or authorize members to speak on behalf of tree preservation.

Recently, we saw the results of Mayor Fischer's empty promise as his appointees to the Metro Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve a proposal for an auto auction business on 10 acres on Old Henry Parkway with mature trees.

The proposal is to clear-cut all the trees and replace them with asphalt parking for hundreds of cars.

This decision flies in the face of recent research spelling out the many benefits of trees to provide shade that reduces heat and filters out noise, light and pollution.

It has just been announced that the tree advisory board has secured funds for a private study that will take 12 to 18 months.

A tree canopy study also is included but these plans may be too late to preserve the trees on Old Henry Parkway.

Mayor Fischer can make up for his earlier neglect by persuading the planning commission to put the proposal on hold to bulldoze 10 acres of trees until the study is completed.

JIM KENNEDY

Chairman

Old Henry Neighborhood Organization

Louisville 40245

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Letters | 'Extremist' labels, save the trees

In your recent gun violence editorial, you wrote, ?We can no longer afford to elect extremist lawmakers who favor gun sales over lives.?d.